There are few sporting arenas in the world which draw a rawer sense of primal emotion for Irish rugby fans than Twickenham. Ireland have had their ups and downs in England's HQ over the years, experiencing both the highest of the highs and some very low lows. There have been massive highs and very low lows over the years and this weekend, as Brian O'Driscoll prepares to ride off into the sunset, we're set for another battle of epic proportions.

Ahead of this weekend's big clash, we took a look at ten big moments from Ireland v England clashes over the years. C'mon Ireland!

 

The Croke Park Anthems - 2007

One of the most memorable days in the history of Irish sport. This wasn't the first time that 'God Save The Queen' filled the air in Croke Park (that honour went to the Great Britain team during the Special Olympics) but it was definitely the most meaningful. The emotionally charged atmosphere in Croker that day translated into one of the Irish rugby team's best performances of the professional era. John Hayes' face during the anthems reflected the team's focus and the English were beaten before they even set foot on the hallowed turf.

 

Shane Horgan vs England at Croke Park - 2007

How fitting that Shane Horgan essentially used his gaelic football skills to score from a Ronan O'Gara crossfield kick against England at Croke Park? There simply couldn't have been a more fitting try scored that day. 

 

Shane Horgan vs England at Twickenham - 2006

Shane Horgan was a regular thorn in the English side. A year prior to his aerial acrobatics in Croke Park, Horgan was again decisive in the last minute defeat of England in Twickenham in one of the more dramatic tries that you could imagine. A Ronan O'Gara kick was retrieved by Brian O'Driscoll, who played in Shane Horgan and, after a bit of probing, he snuck in at the corner to give Ireland a famous victory at the death. 

 

Ireland deny England the 2011 Grand Slam

2011 wasn't Ireland's best season in the Six Nations but, excuse the pettiness here, it was a nice cherry upon the season's cake to demolish the all-conquering England team at the Aviva and deny them a Grand Slam. Tries from Tommy Bowe and Brian O'Driscoll ensured a 24-8 win and significant bragging rights against the old enemy. 

 

Simon Geoghan's match-winning try at Twickenham

The 90's weren't particularly the most fertile period in Irish rugby but our one consistently shining light during those relatively dark ages was Simon Geoghan. The flying winger was world class and had absolutely everything a modern rugby player needed - pace (lots of it), a nifty sidestep and an undying instinct as to where the tryline was and how to get there. Perhaps his most memorable moment in a green shirt was his try against England in Twickenham 1994 which helped Ireland to a narrow 13-12 victory.
 



 "We might not be any good but at least we turned up" - England captain John Pullin, Dublin, 1973

During the height of the troubles in 1973, Dublin wasn't seen as a particularly attractive place to visit for foreign teams. Both Scotland and Wales elected to cancel their trips to Lansdowne Road, citing security concerns, and many presumed the England would do the same. Against all expectations the game went ahead and Ireland won by a score of 18-9 but that result was rendered near insignificant by the gesture made by the English team in refusing to cancel the fixture. A lot of players on both sides were friends from days spent with the Lions and the Barbarians and, as English captain John Pullin put it, he "just wanted to captain his country against some Irish mates."  

 

Keith Wood vs England at Lansdowne Road - 2001

Keith Wood was a talismanic figure in Irish rugby. The County Clare man was the very first winner of the IRB World Player of the Year award in 2001 and that was partly due to burst of energy in the loose such as this try against England at Lansdowne Road. One of Irish rugby's true legendary figures.

 

Ginger McLoughlin vs England at Twickenham - 1982

Rampaging forward play has always been a part of Ireland's rugby DNA (as evidenced by Chris Henry's try against Wales a couple of weeks ago) and this 'up the jumper' style of play resulted in Ginger McLoughlin's now famous try against the English in London in 1982. A classic example of a rampaging pack bamboozling a defence in retreat. 

 

Martin Johnson forced President McAleese to walk on the grass - Lansdowne Road, 2003

If Ireland had beaten England before the match even kicked off in Croke Park in 2007, the opposite was true of the fixture between the two sides in Dublin in 2003. England captain Martin Johnson refused to move his side when they lined up on the wrong side of the red carpet prior to the anthems which ultimately led to President McAleese walking on the grass to meet the players. Some say that this gave Johnson's side a psychological edge, others say it was meaningless - but the fact remains, it was a hugely controversial moment in the history between the two sides. 

 

Brian O'Driscoll vs England at the Aviva - 2011

Brian O'Driscoll will go to battle against England at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon wearing a green jersey for the last time. His swansong season has produced two victories from two so far and the storybook dictates that he must put in one of his greatest performances against England if we are to emerge victorious. He's done it before too, scoring a Six Nations record 25th championship try against this weekend's opponents in 2011.

In BOD we trust.